Authorities say the 21-year-old's fingertips were bloodied.
Atlantic Highlands police arrested Simmonds and a passenger in his vehicle on drug charges after officers stopped them and said they found marijuana on Sunday night.
Police say Simmonds managed to move his handcuffed arms to the front of his body, kick out the side window of the patrol car and escape while officers used a drug-detection dog to search his car.
Simmonds is held in the Monmouth County jail on $135,000 bail.
It's not known if he has a lawyer.